Adjustable rail brace



Aug. 23,- 1932. A. H. TOLD 1,372,848

ADJUSTABLE RAIL BRACE Filed Oct. 21, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Patented Aug. 23, 1932 I 1 f 1,872,848-

UNITED STAT ES' PAT ET OFFECE p A i I n monnna'ronn, or cameo, ILLInoIs V I I I I IADJUSTABLE-RA1L 13311012 Application filed October 21,1931. .senaino. 570,094.. g

. The present invention relates to railjbraces in Figs. 3 and 4, the base portion 12 of they and seeks to provide anfimproved effective bracket is shorter and'abuts against a toe form of adjustable rail-brace. The invention block 16 which is also riveted'to: the tie plate, consists in the featuresof improvement butwhich, if desired, maybe formed from a hereinafter set forth, illustrated in the preturned-up end of the tie plate. i

ferred forms in'the accompanying drawings The inner face of the upright portion 13 of and more particularly pointed out in theap-, the bracket'ishorizontally inclined, that is to pended claims. I say, is at an angle to the longitudinal axis of In the drawings I v the rail and is arranged'toengage the order 1 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of'the improved face of a Wedge 17 which is driveninto posi- 60 adjustable rail brace applied-to a rail, .tion between the bracket and the rail, and Fig. 2 is a cross section, 1 g V which can beadjusted fromtime to time as Fig. 3 is anend' view of a modified form, may be necessary by the wear of the different Fig. 4 is a plan view of the form shown in track structures towhich the brace is applied. Fig. 3. j The wedge is'preferably coredout on its inner '65 Fig. 5 is a plan view of another'modified face to provide a recess 18leaving horizonform. i y tally extending bearing portions 19 andat Fig. 6 is anend view of the form shown its upper and lower edges which are arranged in Fig. 5. to engageportions of the'headand base of the 39 Fig. 7 is a plan view of still anotherforin, rail adjacent the'web, and which are p'refen 70,

Fig. Sis an end view of the'form shown ably shaped to fit and have load bearing enin Fig. 7, and V g'agement with the head and basefillets of the Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a modification rail. The horizontally inclined contacting of the form shown in Figs. 7 and 8. faces of the bracketand wedge are'vertically,

The improved rail brace is applicable to .disposed so' that the wedge, which as stated main rails and also to switch and guard rails. engages portions of the head and'base of the It includes a tie plate 10 which'is adapted to rail, is freeto rise and fall with the rail. This extend beneath the rail A to which the brace 'is also permitted by the clearance between the is applied. An angular bracket 11 is s bracket and the rail base, and with this sir-- cured to the tie plate 10 and comprises horirangement the wave motion of the rail elfectzontal and vertical portions 12 and 13 and an ad by t aflic will not place any strain on the integral, inclined brace rib or strut 14. bracket and tie plate nor'on the means for se- The brace rib 14 is preferably hollowed out curing these parts together. In the preferred as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4', and recesses are form, the wedge is provided on its outer face V preferably formed in the inside bottom with a horizontally extending rib 21 which excorner of the bracket on opposite sides Oftlle tends through a groove 22 in the inner'face of brace rib as indicated in dotted lines 111 Flgthe bracket, but clearance is providedbetween d to further lighten the weight of the bracketthe rib and the Walls, of the groove to permit without objectionably reducing its strength. th 'v rtig l. ovem nt of the wedge with the The bracket is rigidly secured to the tie rail and relative to the bracket. K

plate by rivets 15 as shown, which extend Means are provided for securing the wedge through the horizontal or base portion 12 of inits adjusted position, and this is highly imthe bracket. The inner vertical portion of the portant in order to prevent the backing up of bracket is adapted to extend over the base the wedge and the spreading of the rail. For

flange Z) of the rail "but so as to provide conthis purpose,one of the bracket and wedge 95 siderable clearance between the bracket and parts is provided with ratchet teeth and the the rail base. In the form shown in Figs. 1 other with a one-way yielding, spring-held and 2, the base portion 12 of the bracket is of dog for engaging the ratchet teeth to thereby i considerable length and is secured to the tie automatically secure the wedge i11'*ad usted I plate 10 by the rivets 15. In the form shown "position; In the form shown in Figs; 1' and 2,

ratchet teeth 28 are formed upon the upper face of the rib 21, and a pair of dogs 24 arranged within the recess 22 of the bracket above the teeth, are mounted upon a pivot pin 25. Spring fingers 26 form-ed from a plate and secured to the bracket by a rivet 27 engage the tail portions 28 of the dogs and force the beveled teeth on their outer ends into engagement with the ratchet teeth 23. The l'ockin D arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and dissimilar to that shown in Figs. 1and 2-eXcept-tlmt-the) ratchet teeth 23 are formed upon the vertical face of the wedge 17 instead of upo'nthe upper face of the rib 21. As the wedge is driven to Preferably the outer'enrls oft e e 302% extendedbeyond their teeth 29 so that they vcanbe lifted when is desired to removefthe W dg In the fornr illustrated: in Figs. .5 and 6, the wedge is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced grooves 30 andwth'e bracket is provided with a pair of grooves 31 and 32. All of the grooves just mentioned are preferably ofsemircircular crossvsection and the grooves 31 and 32. in the bracket are preferably spaced approximately. 1 times thefspacing. of the grooves 30in}v the "wedge17. By this arrangement, it will be ohser'ved, that the grooves, are eachen'gageable With! either one of the grooves 31 and 32 upon longitudinal adjustmentsv of the wedge. equal to the center to center spacingof the grooves 30 A: pin SSmay be inserted in theregi stering groovesof the wedge and bracket as shown to lock the partsin v adjnstediposition. If desired,thepin33'may have'its upper end bent over as indicated. at 34*to facilitate removal thereof inthe event that, it' hecomes necessary toadj 11st the brace. 'I'nthe form indicated in Figs} 7 s and 8,.the wedge 17 is provided witharib-34 which fits ina groove 35 f'ormed in the bracket pjart' l-l, the groove-35beingof suchvertical dimension that the ribamay move vertically therein' as an incident tothewave motionoff t'he rail For locking the wedge in adjusted position, the rib 3 L may besp'lit from the wedge proper a suitable distance, for. exampleapproximately .;the length of thewedge, andthe f'orward'end'ofthe rib maythen be sprungoutwardly as indicated .at': 36/ to prevent reanwardmovement of vthe wedge relativeto the bracket N g V In the form; illustratedin Fig; 9,;the rib '34 is split from the wedge substantially as above described in connection with Figs. 7 and 8 and in addition, the rib is split horizontally for approximately the length of the wedge as indicated at 37. For locking the wedge against rearward movement, the split forward end. of the rib may then be spread in a vertical direction as indicated at 38. This last described arrangement may have some tendency to resist vertical movement of the andraflerelative to the bracket but the resiliency of the metal rib is sufficient to permit) such movement.

The improved locking means serves to effectively" prevent the wedge from backing up and; at the-same time avoidsthe necessity Qtwas? lt -Q e e pinsv or her u h separateparts which are apt to becomeloose and-ineffectiveor be improperly applied so as, to create: a-- dangerouscondition.

Thei-mproved brace can; readily beapplied to; rails. of different sizes and shapes without changing the size and shape of the "bracket, it being only necessaryito provide a suitable wedge; to properly fit and support the rail. If desired, the upper edgeof the wedge can-be extended to give additional.support to"the etastandard rail, or ifdesired,it can 'be t ndedia -sh p d o .fiwg w per portion of a so-called head freeWail-A as shown; in Fig. 3. c

Other changes may be made in the details setforth wathoutdeparture from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended ai s I I claim as. my invention 1. A rail brace comprisingta tie-plate,-a bracket-secured thereto, a wedgeadapted to be driven between the bracket and the" rail and engage, portions of the rail base and head, and meansfor securing the-wedge in adjusted position arranged to permit vertical movement. thereof relative to the bracket as an incident to the normal wave motion of. the rail, substantially as described. rail: brace comprising a-tie-plate, abracket secured -th'ereto and arrangedlto extend, overv and. 'out -of cont act with the rail hase,..a,wedge adaptedzto be driven between the bracket and the rail and engagethe throughsaidggroove with clearance to pery the rib to secure the wedge in adjusted pomit the vertical movement of the wedge with the rail, and means cooperating with the rib for securing the wedge in adjusted position, substantially as described. 7

sition to lock tiono 9. A rail brace comprising a tie plate, a bracket secured to said tie plate, a wedge the wedge in adjusted posiadapted to be driven between the bracket and a rail ,seated on said tie plate, said wedge having a series of grooves in its outer face and the inner face of said wedge having a groove adapted to register with one of the grooves in said wedge, and a pin disposed in the registering grooves for locking said wedge in adjusted position, substantially as described.

5. A rail brace comprising a tie-plate, a

bracket secured thereto, a wedge adapted to be driven between the bracket and the rail and engage portions of the rail base and head, one of said brackets and wedge parts having ratchet teeth formed thereon, and a spring held dog on the other of said parts for engaging the ratchet teeth to automatically secure the wedge in adjusted position, substantially as described. i

6. A rail brace comprising a tie-plate, a bracket secured thereto, a wedge adapted to be driven between the bracket and the rail and have a load bearing engagement with the head and base fillets of the rail, the

bracket having a horizontal groove and the wedge having a rib extending through said groove and being provided with ratchet teeth, and a one-way yielding, spring held 7 dog mounted on the bracket and arranged to engage the teeth to secure the wedge in adjusted position.

7 A rail brace comprising a tie plate, a bracket secured thereto, a wedge adapted to be driven between the bracket and the rail and having a load bearing engagement with the head and base fillets of the rail, the bracket having a horizontal groove and the wedge being provided with a rib extending through said groove with clearance to permit the vertical movement of the wedge with the rail relative to said bracket and means secured to the bracket and engaging a portion of said wedge for looking the wedge in adjusted position.

8. A rail brace comprising a tie plate, a bracket secured thereto, and a wedge adapted to be driven between the bracket and the rail, the bracket having a horizontal groove and the wedge being provided with a rib extending through said groove with clearance to permit vertical movement of the wedge with the rail relative to ,the'bracket, said rib being provided with a longitudinally extending slit extending only a part of the length of the rib whereby the rib is adapted to be displaced from its normal po- ARNOLD H. TOLD. 

